Question (rebuild) New Mobo and CPU, using ssd with win10 pro already installed and registered.

huntleyjames80

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Jan 13, 2019
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Okay so Long story "short" this is my first pc build in over 15 years. I have just been using laptops. I finally got all my components and got the system together and a build where I have had to replace the mobo and cpu. The Rig is a MSI B450 Tomahawk with a Ryzen 5 2600x with windows 10 pro registered key on the 500GB SSD. The first CPU was overheating on idle and wasn't even boosting to 4.2 Amazon agreed to return the cpu and sent me a new one. Installed the new CPU and noticed the retention arm for the AM4 CPU socket was weak and didn't have the normal bit of tension I am used to. So after putting the stock cooler on and hooking all the connections, I fire it up and I get power fans all spinning, including the cpu cooler, no post and a debug indicating CPU. I retry again same thing, so now I remove all connections and clean and reapply thermal paste and reinstall cpu reconnect all connections again and try again but this time nothing, no power no display nothing. The CPU is still under 30 day warranty so I return it, Sadly the motherboard is about 10 days past the 30 day retailer warranty so I RMA the board to MSI. MSI have sent out a new motherboard otw and the new cpu also is otw should receive them sometime next week. So my question is when I put it back together is there a way to continue to use the ssd with the installed windows if so how, and if not do i need to recreate a win10 flash drive and somehow reformat the ssd and reinstall windows and hope that my registration key will take or take the loss and get another win10 key? Could someone please tell me my options and what steps to take please? I do not have another PC that I can use to reformat the ssd drive before hand if that is the option from another pc as all I have currently is an older laptop and a bunch of usb flash drives. Or would it be easier to just buy a new ssd? I am sorry it's just been so long since I have done any of this. Thanks for any and all help or advice in advance, appreciate.

James
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
So my question is when I put it back together is there a way to continue to use the ssd with the installed windows if so how, and if not do i need to recreate a win10 flash drive and somehow reformat the ssd and reinstall windows and hope that my registration key will take or take the loss and get another win10 key?

if replacements are same motherboard and CPU, it might work fine... the ssd has drivers on it that match all the hardware, the only issue might be activation.

You shouldn't need to reinstall at all.

You may need to contact MIcrosoft to get them to activate windows again, as you shouldn't need a new license for this.
 

huntleyjames80

Commendable
Jan 13, 2019
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if replacements are same motherboard and CPU, it might work fine... the ssd has drivers on it that match all the hardware, the only issue might be activation.

You shouldn't need to reinstall at all.

You may need to contact MIcrosoft to get them to activate windows again, as you shouldn't need a new license for this.



Hi Colif

The motherboard they are sending me apparently is a refurbished model from MSI in California. I paid almost $33 dollars to get it there in 2 days. I was told it was a new refurbished replacement and they don’t have new hardware at their facility. This seems kind of unreal to me as the board was supposed to be brand new and was only days after the 30 day Newegg warranty. I should have maybe contacted Newegg before MSI RMA? I was frustrated and didn’t feel like dealing with people on the phone.

Anyways the CPU is going to be brand new or should be from amazon and the motherboard a “new” refurbished model....

I asked why I didn’t get a new product or fixed and he said they don’t have new components.....I didn’t emphasize how this was supposed to be a brand new motherboard just over retail warranty. .. feel like I’m being shafted by MSI but anyways..

So all new (half new) components than the ones used to install windows 10 on the ssd(crucial) the ram Gpu psu all the same.

Am I going to need another windows creation tool flash drive? Will it recognize the same but different parts ? I thought the windows was tied to the motherboard in some way so assume I need to somehow reformat the ssd? Or use 3rd party software or can be done in bios this is kind of new territory for me.

Again any help or suggestions, other then I should have waited another few months for a build that I will probably sell for a loss or gone with the motherboard I originally wanted.

Also I am assuming I will have to get another copy of windows. Idk.

I hope I have explained everything more clear. Sorry about that.

I went from my first build in 15 years or more to post install. Yay!!

To a nightmare over the past few weeks ydek.
 

huntleyjames80

Commendable
Jan 13, 2019
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1,530
I really hope someone can help take the time to read all this and give me some suggestions on what to do, I would really really appreciate it. I am sorry it has been such a drawn out question but figured the more information about the problem the better, again please someone help me- thank you in advance!!
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
I had to go to sleep, reason I didn't answer until now. Sorry about that.

Am I going to need another windows creation tool flash drive? Will it recognize the same but different parts ? I thought the windows was tied to the motherboard in some way so assume I need to somehow reformat the ssd? Or use 3rd party software or can be done in bios this is kind of new territory for me.

Flash drive: Maybe. If the motherboard is same model and same CPU is installed again, the current installation should just run on it like its the same PC as before. THere are no guarantees though, so having one handy is a good idea.

I would make a new installer given Win 10 1903 was released last week. On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

Windows license: It depends. On the previous install, did you ever create or login to a Microsoft account? If you do either of these, the license is likely tied to your email address.
If you didn't use an email address on the user, its likely tied to motherboard still.

You can check if you have a windows login by going here - https://account.microsoft.com/
and logging in using your user info from win 10
if you do, click on the devices button and choose Manage
once you past the 2nd login screen, it should show a PC
click on show details
if you click INfo & Support it should show you details of the PC its currently installed on.

I think if it shows PC there, it means the licence is linked to email address.

You are likely to have to contact MIcrosoft at some stage if you manage to just swap the SSD in without a format as the activation servers should recognise the parts are different and may deactivate WIn 10 after the swap. So if that does happen, having the license key you used when you 1st installed Pro on new PC will help as they can fix it from their end.

Format: You shouldn't need to do either of those, If the need arises where you need to clean install, the WIndows installation process will wipe the ssd anyway
 
What I'd do in your case: put the pc together and put SSD into it too. Boot it. Then what will happen will be one of the following. It will work fine - will be the case if the key you used was a retail type. It will not activate until you put the key in again - will be the case if the key you used was retail, and if you are lucky OEM. Will not activate until you phone Microsoft - will be the case with an OEM key, or if you are unlucky retail. Will not activate even if you call Microsoft - will only be OEM, because technically it should remain on the same motherboard.
 

huntleyjames80

Commendable
Jan 13, 2019
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What I'd do in your case: put the pc together and put SSD into it too. Boot it. Then what will happen will be one of the following. It will work fine - will be the case if the key you used was a retail type. It will not activate until you put the key in again - will be the case if the key you used was retail, and if you are lucky OEM. Will not activate until you phone Microsoft - will be the case with an OEM key, or if you are unlucky retail. Will not activate even if you call Microsoft - will only be OEM, because technically it should remain on the same motherboard.
Its an ebay key =/
 

huntleyjames80

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Jan 13, 2019
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It is sort of a big deal, in the context of theft, money laundering, copyright protection.
You know...legal stuff like that.
Figured it was fine, considering youtubers advertise things like kingwin and other sites to get cheap keys, figured I was just cutting out middle man. I really don't know much about it. This is getting a bit off track lol
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
So sites like kingwin and others are illegal?
kinguin does not actually "sell" anything. They are the middleman between you and whoever is selling these.
Like ebay.

If someone has 1,000 Windows licenses for sale at $20 (or $6) each, one has to ask...how and from where?

If you came across 16GB DDR4 RAM for $20, on a site recommended by some utuber...you'd run away laughing. Knowing it was a scam.
Licensed software is no different.
 
It doesn't matter where the key was from, once you put it in, and get it activated, then you can see what type of key it is. In my previous posts, I forgot to mention volume keys. If you have one of those, then it should activate again, you might need to re-enter it.
Once activated, open command prompt and type in "slmgr -dli". This will say either RETAIL, OEM, VOLUME or KMS. If it is one of the last two, you have been sold an illegitimate key, mentioned above if it is retail or OEM you are good... As long as it wasn't bought with a stolen card.
 
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USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
As long as it wasn't bought with a stolen card.
Which is VERY often the case with the cheap ones.

  1. Purchase 100 stolen credit card numbers. $150.
  2. Purchase 10 software licenses with each. Pay full retail of $100.
  3. Sell these 1,000 licenses for $10 each.
  4. Profit $9,850. Wash, rinse, repeat.
The unsuspecting 'innocent', who was recommended by some utuber to buy that, is left holding the bag when it gets deactivated later.
 
Indeed, but for the 1 retail key straight from Microsoft you can get around 33 eBay ones. Let's say each key lasts for minimum a year before it gets deactivated (if it does) then you have 33 years minimum before you could have bought a genuine one for the same price. That is ignoring the fact that you may have bought a genuine one anyway - many are from actual scrappers who simply deactivated the keys of dead systems... These should last forever
 
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huntleyjames80

Commendable
Jan 13, 2019
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Indeed, but for the 1 retail key straight from Microsoft you can get around 33 eBay ones. Let's say each key lasts for minimum a year before it gets deactivated (if it does) then you have 33 years minimum before you could have bought a genuine one for the same price. That is ignoring the fact that you may have bought a genuine one anyway - many are from actual scrappers who simply deactivated the keys of dead systems... These should last forever
And thereby encouraging the criminal.

You can do all the self justification you want. Doesn't change things.



So now Im a Criminal...thanks for the help guys lets just close the post its gone a little off topic
 

huntleyjames80

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Jan 13, 2019
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No, not you...the seller of cheap.

Anyway...will the drive+OS work and just boot up in your new system?
Maybe. Maybe not.

Try it. See what happens.
If it chokes, time for a full wipe and reinstall.

I hope so, time will tell, won't be until the end of next week before everything is here. idc about windows I really just hope it posts, would be nice if would run from the new mobo and cpu right into windows as it is all the same parts but Im afraid the mobo wont allow it to, I'll keep you all posted if you're interested, maybe be back for some advice, thanks again

I will be looking into the cd key though, I am curious if it is an illegal one. Thanks for giving me the steps to figure that out too.